Table I.
Characteristics for use of tube feeding (TF) at the start and the end of radiotherapy (RT) (n = 712).
| Start RT, n (%) |
End RT, n (%) |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristics | Use of TF | No TF | P* | Missing | Use of TF | No TF | P* | Missing |
| Age | ||||||||
| < 65 years ≥ 65 years |
36 (8.2) 40 (14.9) |
403 (91.8) 228 (85.1) |
0.006
|
5 |
200 (48.0) 135 (53.6) |
217 (52.0) 117 (46.4) |
0.175 |
43 |
| Sex | ||||||||
| Male Female |
60 (11.4) 16 (8.8) |
465 (88.6) 166 (91.2) |
0.405 |
5 |
249 (50.3) 86 (49.4) |
246 (49.7) 88 (50.6) |
0.860 |
43 |
| Site | ||||||||
| Oropharynx Larynx Hypopharynx Oral cavity |
23 (6.7) 11 (7.4) 30 (25.4) 12 (12.6) |
322 (93.3) 138 (92.6) 88 (74.6) 83 (87.4) |
< 0.001
|
5 |
161 (48.8) 53 (38.4) 75 (66.4) 46 (52.3) |
169 (51.2) 85 (61.6) 38 (33.6) 42 (47.7) |
< 0.001
|
43 |
| Clinical stage | ||||||||
| I II III IV |
1 (3.3) 5 (5.4) 17 (8.7) 53 (13.6) |
29 (96.7) 87 (94.6) 178 (91.3) 337 (86.4) |
0.041
|
5 |
13 (43.3) 37 (41.1) 89 (48.4) 196 (53.7) |
17 (56.7) 53 (58.9) 95 (51.6) 169 (46.3) |
0.134 |
43 |
| Treatment modality | ||||||||
| CF AF |
35 (9.8) 41 (11.7) |
322 (90.2) 309 (88.3) |
0.467 |
5 |
126 (38.3) 209 (61.5) |
203 (61.7) 131 (38.5) |
< 0.001
|
43 |
| BMI‡ | ||||||||
| Underweight Normal weight Overweight/obese |
8 (18.2) 13 (9.3) 5 (2.9) |
36 (81.8) 127 (90.7) 170 (97.1) |
0.001
|
353 |
25 (62.5) 60 (45.1) 67 (40.1) |
15 (37.5) 73 (54.9) 100 (59.9) |
0.041
|
372 |
| Karnofsky | ||||||||
| < 80 ≥ 80 |
19 (33.3) 50 (8.1) |
38 (66.7) 565 (91.9) |
< 0.001
|
40 |
–†
|
–†
|
–†
|
–†
|
| Swallowing problem | ||||||||
| Yes No |
52 (53.1) 24 (3.9) |
46 (46.9) 585 (96.1) |
< 0.001
|
5 |
322 (62.8) 11 (7.1) |
191 (37.2) 143 (92.9) |
< 0.001
|
45 |
| Mucositis | ||||||||
| Yes No |
–†
|
–†
|
–†
|
–†
|
295 (51.7) 30 (35.7) |
276 (48.3) 54 (64.3) |
0.007
|
57 |
| Use of opioid analgesics | ||||||||
| Yes No |
29 (39.2) 47 (7.4) |
45 (60.8) 584 (92.6) |
< 0.001 | 7 | 217 (66.8) 116 (34.0) |
108 (33.2) 225 (66.0) |
< 0.001 | 46 |
| Number of patients, n (%) | 76 (10.7) | 631 (88.6) | 5 (0.7%) | 335 (47.1) | 334 (46.9) | 43 (6.0) | ||
*p-value controlled by Fisher's Exact Test; †Data not recorded at that time point; ‡ Underweight: BMI < 20 (BMI < 22 if ≥ 70 years); normal weight: BMI 20–25 (BMI 22–27 if ≥ 70years); overweight/obese: BMI > 25 (BMI > 27 if ≥ 70 years).